Sample Sunday - Journey to Her Dreams

Here a little teaser for "Journey to Her Dreams" which is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online stores.

If you'd like another sample, please check Amazon or contact me.

He held her hands with his and caressed her fingers. “Why don’t you let me help you?”

“I don’t think you can. It is something I have to do on my own. I’m truly sorry.”

Their eyes were locked when Jeremy took her hands into his. His voice was soft and just barely loud enough for her to hear. “Hollie, I was honest when I said I like spending time with you. I obviously can’t help you, so if you can tell me there’s a chance for us, I will wait.”

Hollie entwined her fingers with Jeremy’s. “I can’t believe you’d do that.” Her eyes met his. “You hardly know me.”

“I know, but I’ve now spent two beautiful afternoons with you. One has to start somewhere.”

“Jeremy, I don’t want to bring this up all the time, but I still don’t understand why you were so rude in the car. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

Jeremy let go of her hands, leaned back and rubbed his hands over his face. “Not my best day, eh? I’m sorry. Well, I know sorry probably doesn’t do it. I...it was...maybe just a matter of being

overworked, lonely, old habits, a drink or two...”

“The old habits sort of worry me a bit.” And with a sigh she added, “The drinks as well.”

“Okay, I have a feeling I’m making this worse rather than better. Old habits as in the girls before didn’t mind jumping into bed the first night. Good job, good money – the girls were happy to–”

Waving her hands she said, “Say no more. I have a feeling the

bringing you back with your feet on solid ground  will actually happen sooner rather than later.”

My Interview with VoiceFM

Frank from VoiceFM interviewed me last year about my new book

"Journey to Her Dreams".

 We had a lot of fun and I think that comes across in the interview. ENJOY

Susan Elizabeth Phillips - What I did for love

Publisher: William Morrow & Company

ISBN:  9780061351501
My rating: 2/5

"How did this happen?" Georgie York, once the costar of America's favorite television sitcom, has been publicly abandoned by her famous husband, her film career has tanked, her father is driving her crazy, and her public image as a spunky heroine is taking a serious beating.
What should a down-on-her-luck actress do? "Not" go to Vegas . . . "not" run into her detestable former costar, dreamboat-from-hell Bramwell Shepard . . . and "not" get caught up in an ugly incident that leads to a calamitous elopement. Before she knows it, Georgie has a fake marriage, a fake husband, and maybe (or not) a fake sex life.
It's a paparazzi free-for-all, and Georgie's nonsupporting cast doesn't help. There's Bram's punk-nightmare housekeeper, Georgie's own pushy parent, a suck-up agent, an icy studio head with a private agenda, and her ex-husband's new wife, who can't get enough of doing good deeds and saving the world--the bitch. As for Georgie's leading man, Bram's giving the performance of his life, but he's never cared about anyone except himself, and it's not exactly clear why.
Two enemies find themselves working without a script in a town where the spotlight shines bright . . . and where the strongest emotions can wear startling disguises.



My thoughts

I'm not really sure what to write or whether to actually rate this book. SEP is one of my favourite author, I love her books, but I was really disappointed with this one. It took me weeks (instead of the usually couple of days) to get through this story - it was bland and the character without oomph.

Basically the story is about two Hollywood actors, getting married in Vegas, regretting it the next day. Old, I thought so too. So instead of facing "the media" they pretend it to be real and honest ... and along the way fall in love.

Georgie, the main character was boring, and simple, though developing character and self-esteem throughout the book, I couldn't warm up to her at all. I liked Bram. He had the certain oompf, even in his nastiness. The usual side-story was neglected and it felt it was added only as a filler.

So all in all - if you haven't read a SEP book yet, please do not start with this one. Susan Elizabeth Phillips has a wonderful way of using wit and humour in her story  ... it's kinda missing in this one!

Lynette Sofras - The Apple Tree

Publisher: Inspired Romance Novels

ISBN: 978 - 0 - 9847645 - 3 - 2

My rating: 3/5


Escaping from your past is never easy, as young hospital doctor Juliet discovers when she tries to start afresh, leaving both her marriage and her career behind. Love blossoms rapidly when she meets the mysterious and forthright ‘gardener’, Nicholas, who seems to herald the new beginning she craves.

The past quickly dissolves into insignificance as their all-consuming romance propels them forward but Juliet has to learn the price of happiness in the cruelest way possible. Will she be able face the painful roots of her past in order for her future to grow strong and healthy? (amazon.com)


My thoughts

This is a beautiful story - don't get me wrong! But compared to other books I've read I just couldn't give it more than three stars.

The main character is Julie, Dr Julie Somerville, who's just come back from Saudi where she's lived with her husband. But she couldn't settle and returned to the UK. Julie literally bumps into Robert, a friend from years back, and through him meets Nicholas. They both spend a wonderful summer together.

I honestly couldn't warm up to Julie. The constant whining and self-doubt made me put the book aside quite often, unfortunately too often so that I had lost the "train-of-thought" here and there. I liked Nicholas and even more so for his views. It gave his character a certain 'oompf'.

All and all a really nice read, and I really should mention that the story was the 2011 Inspired Romance Novels' Writing Contest GRAND PRIZE WINNER  - so please don't let my opinion deter you from giving it a try!

Journey to Her Dreams - Another Teaser

"Journey to Her Dreams" is available on

Amazon, Barnes & Noble

and other online stores.

As they all – seemingly – listened to the sermon, Hollie glanced towards Jeremy and noticed his arms resting on his knees and his head facing down.

Was he even listening? She watched his hands. There was something about them: strong, yet soft at the same time. He wore a subtle diamond ring on one of his fingers and a silver watch around his wrist. She couldn’t help but stare, and she suddenly had a vision of these hands touching her, caressing her  body and taking her into an embrace. Hollie blushed and quickly turned her head. Feeling guilty, she tried to get her mind back to the minister’s words and the Christmas story he was telling.

Lee Child - Die Trying (Reacher #2)

Publisher: Bantam

ISBN  9780515142242

My rating: 3/5


A Chicago street in bright sunshine. Jack Reacher, strolling nowhere, meets an attractive young woman, limping, struggling with her crutches, alone. Naturally he stops to offer her a steadying arm and then they turn together—to face twin handguns held level and motionless and aimed straight at their stomachs.

Chained to the woman, locked in a dark, stifling van racing 2,000 miles across America, Reacher needs to know who he's dealing with. The kidnappers are saying nothing and his companion claims to be Holly Johnson, FBI agent. She's fierce enough and tough enough, but he knows there must be more to her than that. And at their remote, hostile destination, they will need to act as a team and trust each other, pitting raw courage and cunning against insane violence and seemingly hopeless odds, with their own lives and hundreds more at stake. (leechild.com)


My rating

Eerie comes to mind! Yet not as good as the first one. Unfortunately not.

So, there's Jack Reacher, he's at the wrong place, wrong time - kidnapped with the handicapped woman (Holly) he helped carrying dry cleaned clothes. By some militia group as it turns out and they take them to some remote spot in the Montana forests. And then ... it gets complicated and weird and Child lost me.

Still interesting, but I had to put the book aside waaay to often, because it was too detailed ? boring ? complicated ? I don't know. It just didn't grip me like the first book.

The story in itself would have been much better if it had been edited down to a few pages less. Reacher still a kick-ass hero you'd like to have at your side when in trouble or not. (PS - I did like the scene when we find out about his weakness - nice touch indeed!) Holly's character a bit "underdeveloped". I would have liked to have more of her. The whole bunch of FBI agents and other agents way to confusing. The leak / mole obvious half way through the book.

Worth a read - betcha it is. It's a Lee Child book. Haven't read any of his yet? Don't start with this one!

Now, let me go and find Reacher #3 :-)

Janet Evanovich - Explosive Eighteen

Publisher: Bantam Books

ISBN: 978-0-345-52771-4

My rating: n.a.

 

Before Stephanie can even step foot off Flight 127 from Hawaii to Newark, she’s knee deep in trouble. Her dream vacation turned into a nightmare, she’s flying back to New Jersey solo, and Sasquatch is snoring in row 22. Worse still, her seatmate never returned to the plane after the L.A. layover. Now he’s dead, in a garbage can, waiting for curbside pickup. His killer could be anyone. The FBI, the fake FBI, and guns-for-hire are all looking for a photograph the dead man was supposed to be carrying.

Only one other person has seen the missing photograph– Stephanie Plum. Now she’s the target, and she doesn’t intend to end up in a garbage can. With the help of a FBI sketch artist Stephanie recreates the person in the photo. Unfortunately the first sketch turns out to look like Tom Cruise, and the second sketch like Ashton Kutcher. Until Stephanie can improve her descriptive skills, she’ll need to watch her back.
Over at the Bail Bonds Agency it’s business as usual– until the bonds bus serving as Vinnie’s temporary HQ goes up in smoke, Stephanie’s wheelman, Lula, falls in love with their “largest” FTA yet, lifetime arch nemesis Joyce Barnhardt moves into Stephanie’s apartment, and everyone wants to know what happened in Hawaii?!
Morelli, Trenton’s hottest cop, isn’t talking about Hawaii. Ranger, the man of mystery, isn’t talking about Hawaii. And all Stephanie is willing to say about her Hawaiian vacation is…it’s complicated. (evanovich.com)


My thoughts

Not my cup of tea - 'nuff said!